Outrage as police ban ALL cycling in Newport city centre

Was there today and saw some PCSOs calmy informing two cyclists on their mountain bikes that they needed to dismount. They were going down a one way streeet the wrong way.

So, things are becoming a bit clearer. Several pedestrian areas are subject to the ban and, within the pedestrian zone, some of them are what you would call roads and others not.

It's actually a prohibition between 11-5 every day and not midnight as the article claims. And it applies to all vehicles. 

The only issue is that google maps shows access vehicles parked there DURING 11-5 so I've asked how those vehicles get there/leave. 

If ALL vehicles are in fact treated equally then the social issue is still poor but legally it's all ok.

The ban is because the police cannot manage the situation, I expect it is a small minority spoiling it for the majority which is usually the case. The whole banning cyclist in Newport is laughable and the police should be ashamed of themselves, what makes it more embarrassing for the police is it is 10-13 year old kids. Come on Newport police sort your act out you're Looking a bit silly.

I don't know Newport, but would it be possible for the police to more actively engage the cycling community in the area to help them monitor cycling during certain times or days of the week? Somewhat a thought of the cycling community helping the police to confirm who the real violators are and to attempt to reason with them (if possible) to more appropriately ride, or avoid pedestrianised areas?

I am a frequent road rider here in the Denver, Colorado area and see my share of other cyclists not observing traffic laws. It is aggravating since it gives all cyclists a bad name. As a community of cyclists, we do try to monitor and if possible film rides (e.g. GoPro or Fly6, etc) whether to spot dangerous driving or bad mannered cyclists. We even had a website to which such video and reports can be posted with public access provided.

Please Road.cc, could you organise a ride through Newport? 

Considerate 'shared use' cycling really shouldn't be an issue in the pedestrianised parts of Newport Town Centre.  

It's worth a look at the 'Newport Cycle Map' - even by UK standards theres a shocking lack of cycle infrastructure.   The yellow on this map is a tiny distance and doens't actually go anywhere.

http://www.newport.gov.uk/documents/Leisure-and-Tourism/Cycle-Map-Newpor...

The promising looking 'traffic free cycle route' out along the A48 actually carries on for some way.   I grew up there and didn't remember it either from my youth or driving there recently.  That's because it's just roadside footpath reclassified as shared use where you have to cross every side road without protection as if a pedestrian. 

It actually carries on a lot of the way towards Chepstow.  Again, without any priority over side roads.  

At Langstone (https://goo.gl/maps/WobLYZwy5962) it takes a pointless diversion on Tregarn Road (up a hill) rather than carrying along the A48 on the flat for no good reason.

No shortage of space on the A48 - huge sections have a full lane hatched out  in the centre

https://goo.gl/maps/VugAaq1DrcC2   

The fat shiny arsed coppers should get away from their workstations and do some proper policing. Simple. Apply the law strictly and anti social behaviour and crime goes down as proven in New York.

It might be worth issuing a legal challenge based on the failure of the Council to meet its duties under the Active Travel Act 2013. 

Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

What a traffic regulation order may provide.

(1)[F1A traffic regulation order may make] any provision prohibiting, restricting or regulating the use of a road, or of any part of the width of a road, by vehicular traffic, or by vehicular traffic of any class specified in the order,—

(a)either generally or subject to such exceptions as may be specified in the order or determined in a manner provided for by it, and

(b)subject to such exceptions as may be so specified or determined, either at all times or at times, on days or during periods so specified.

(2)[F2The provision that may be made by a traffic regulation order] includes any provision—

(a)requiring vehicular traffic, or vehicular traffic of any class specified in the order, to proceed in a specified direction or prohibiting its so proceeding;

(b)specifying the part of the carriageway to be used by such traffic proceeding in a specified direction;

(c)prohibiting or restricting the waiting of vehicles or the loading and unloading of vehicles;

(d)prohibiting the use of roads by through traffic; or

(e)prohibiting or restricting overtaking.

Newport is bad enough as it is, the amount of chavs walking thier dogs is probably worse than the occasional cyclist (though normally its the offspring of said chavs on the bikes). Newport needs to deal with them and all the drugs and make it a nicer place to visit before worrying about the cyclists 

i guess the gwent police are going to ban cars from the Coldra area of the M4, loads of crashes and plenty of anti social driving going on. 

Brilliant advertisement for Newport.  Young, feral hoodies swarming the city center while pearl-clutching Daily Mail plod impose taliban-like punishments on cyclists.

I'll just add Newport to my list of places-I-will-not-visit.

Bloody hooligans on bikes. Just confiscate the offenders bikes. It's a bit harsh imposing a blanket ban. I would say it should be appealed against by lobbying the town hall. 

Will they also be banning all motor vehicles on roads that have incidents of bad driving?

So, because SOME cyclists are behaving in an anti-social way, ALL cyslists are now banned from these roads? I would suggest that because SOME mototists drive dangerously (whilst using mobile phones, jumping red lights, ...) ALL motorists should also be banned from the roads. Seems fair to me.

Since when did the police write laws? How can they make it illegal to ride on a road somewhere?

I mean, they already choose which laws to enforce (massively to the detriment of bike riders, because cops hate bike riders in general) but laws are statutory things, and are not written by cops.

Are they using some sort of Traffic Regulation Order thing?

Boycott Newport.

Car drivers are a big problem were I live: speeding, knocking down old ladies, killing children.

I look forward to a car ban in my area soon.

Judging my Streetview most of the roads are currently open for traffic, at least for some of the day. Enforcing a cycling ban outside of the marked traffic lanes (there are bollards between driving and walking areas) is no issue. A blanket ban because "some people" musise the area . .  that's great, think of the reduction in costs for upkeep on motorways when they ban cars as "some" drivers travel at excessive speeds !
"Some" people can't hold their booze / know when tostop, so we ban pubs too.
Those who are causing a nuisance can be dealt with under existing laws, if they choose to do so.  No need to punish those who follow the rules to stop the few who don't.

Most towns today are trying to get more people to cycle, seems it's South Wales and New South Wales that go against the grain.....

It's the inevitable result of letting a bad situation exist. Plymouth City Centre is pedestrianised and I have yet to visit there without seeing at least one idiot weaving at high speed through the throngs of shoppers. Yes, the problem is a small number of mainly (but not exclusively) young males but all the general public sees are antisocial, dangerous CYCLISTS. The police stand by and watch little old ladies cringing as some goon on a mountain bike (it's usually an MTB) misses her by inches at high speed. Eventually someone is going to call for a crackdown (there are already signs forbidding cycling) and the people who shop there will support it fully. That means the police, who could have nipped the problem in the bud by stopping these a***holes every time they saw them and charging them (plenty of offences to pick from) will start treating ALL cyclists as the enemy. Then there will by cries about cyclists being victimised. As cyclists we rightly complain about our protected space being invaded as motorists park in cycle lanes etc. but when cyclists - even a small number - invade pedestrian spaces we don't do the wider cycling cause any good at all. The answer? Press Plod to intervene and stop the antisocial few. I've tried it and been met with indifference. I think their attitude is that eventually cyclists will, like Newport, be banned from the entire City Centre and then the problem will go away. So I don't, of course, agree with what Newport are doing but I can see how the situation arises and why councillors think they will have majority support for their actions.